www.brown.house.gov

Congressman Henry E. Brown
Contact: Sharon P. Axson (843) 747-4175


November, 2006 Newsletter

Time to 'Fall Back'

Charleston, SC, Oct 27 -

It’s time to adjust the clocks as Daylight Savings Time ends for another year. On October 29^th at 2:00 a.m., clocks should be turned back one hour. The next adjustment will occur on March 11, 2007. The earlier start is a part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The Secretary of Energy will report the impact of this change to Congress, who retains the right to resume the 2005 Daylight Saving Time schedule once the Department of Energy study is complete

This is also the time to get your flu shot. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the single best way to prevent the flu is for individuals, especially people at high risk for serious complications from the flu, to get a vaccination each fall. Flu viruses spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing of people with influenza. Sometimes people may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose. Most healthy adults may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 5 days after becoming sick. That means that you may be able to pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick. To find a flu clinic near you, use the American Lung Association’s locator at www.flucliniclocator.org

Veterans Day is just a couple of weeks away. November 11^th is the day Americans honor the men and women who have served in the military. Originally called Armistice Day, all major hostilities of World War 1 were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. The week of November 5 through November 11 has been designated National Veterans Awareness Week. Please take this opportunity to show your appreciation for those who have answered the call to defend our precious liberty and freedom.

Veterans should also be aware that the Departments of Interior and Agriculture have announced that, beginning this Veterans Day, U.S. veterans, members of the U.S. armed forces and their families will be admitted free-of-charge on Veterans Day to most public lands managed by the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture. The administrative fee waiver of entrance and/or standard amenity fees will apply annually on Veterans Day at public recreation lands managed by Interior’s National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Reclamation and Agriculture’s U.S. Forest Service. For more information, go to www.nps.gov and search “Veterans Day.”

Open enrollment for the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan begins on November 15^th. Everyone with Medicare, regardless of income, health status, or prescription drugs used, can get prescription drug coverage. My offices are available to assist you with this program. You can also get helpful information at www.medicare.gov. Enhancements to that site will provide new help for people with Medicare prescription drug coverage who want to consider changing plans. The changes will make it easier for beneficiaries to get personalized information about their coverage options and costs for 2007. This can be done before the open enrollment period begins. Compared to the 2006 plans, savings are larger and are more widely available. These savings are available for the most common prescription drugs used for chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and osteoporosis, among others.

We have enjoyed many successes and accomplishments in the 109^th Congress. Last month, I offered a review of what I considered my priorities and accomplishments as your representative in Washington. If you missed it, look for the September, 2006 Newsletter on my web site, www.brown.house.gov. For more information on all the accomplishments of Republicans in the 109^th Congress, go to www.gop.gov.

This past month has been a whirlwind of activity. I had the pleasure to meet with the Naval Enlisted Reserve Association at the National Conference in Charleston. I testified before the International Trade Commission on behalf of our state’s steel industry and our proud steelworkers. We celebrated the agreement between the State of South Carolina and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to begin work on the Morris Island Lighthouse. I continued to spread the good economic news that has resulted from Republican-led policies. To get the details on these and other items of interest, go to my web site www.brown.house.gov and click on “News.”

Finally, I want to encourage all eligible citizens to exercise your right to vote on Tuesday, November 7^th. The opportunity to choose our leaders is a concept that is not available throughout the world. Our country was founded on the principles that allow our citizens the equal opportunity to have their voices heard through the vote. We should never take this right for granted. Just this year, we renewed the Voting Rights Act to ensure that call citizens can exercise this right without intimidation or harassment. Every vote counts.

The resources of my offices are available, if I may be of assistance concerning any federal matter. I look forward to hearing from you. Call any of my offices or refer to my web site for the best way to contact me. The address is www.brown.house.gov .